Maiden Triple Threat: The Defective Trio
by Miz-KTakase
Summary: Fruits Basket gets a turn at Maiden Universe. In the 11th installment, the Sohma house gets introduced by three cute Maidens, resembling Tohru and her friends, offering their services. But they want more, when chaos ensues, as the plot begins to boil for our Dog, Cat, and Rat of the Sohma family. Rated T for language and violence.
1. The Arrival

_**Disclaimer:  
><strong>__I do not own Fruits Basket._

* * *

><p>It was a typical day in the Sohma house, home of Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki, when Tohru Honda, their roommate, was leaving for two weeks, with Uo and Hana.<p>

"Okay, boys, I know this is much, but you can handle this on your own, right?" She asked.

Shigure, in his gray yutaka, said, "It won't be the same, without you. The house has never been sparkly and clean."

Tohru exclaimed, "I'll only be gone for two weeks. Besides, I'm sure you three can handle it on your own."

"Yes, but having to go through my roommates to clean the home can be a troubling experience."

He remembered that Kyo and Yuki often fight amongst each other. Of course, so does Tohru.

She then stated, "Well, I figured that it may happen, so…"

She held out a pamphlet of _Maidens for Hire_, a well-known Maid Service in Japan.

Shigure gasped, "WHAT? AUTOMATION TO DO OUR WORK?"

Kyo cried out, "WHAT? A ROBOT MAID?"

He jumped down, a boy with a black school uniform and orange spiky hair, and stood in front of Tohru, all fuming.

"NO! N-O spells no! I refuse to have these robot girls fawn over us and clean for us!" He shouted, "We're better off with you!"

Shigure said calmly, "Now, now… Maybe we could give it a shot. We won't keep a Maiden."

Kyo growled, "Yeah, right. They're like 3,000 Yen a unit!"

Tohru stated, "Actually, _2,000_ Yen."

Yuki, a boy with purple hair, asked, "Tohru, is it wise to go through the trouble of having a Maiden for Hire in our home?"

Kyo snapped, "Kagura is thinking of a Butler for Hire that looks like me! This is madness!"

Shigure called out, "Boys, please! Whatever Tohru had to go through to get a Maiden for Hire for us, it's fine."

He glared at her and asked, "But… aren't you forgetting something?"

Tohru stuck her tongue out and laughed, "Oh… right. I forget. But that's okay. As long as you _don't _touch her, you'll be fine."

She grabbed her bag and said, "You can, if you want to; but don't get to chummy over her. And also, don't plan on keeping her. Remember, I'm gone for two weeks."

She waved goodbye, as Yuki grew a bit concerned.

"Uh… Shigure… Will the Maidens affect us in any way?" He suggested.

Shigure then said, "Trust me, Yuki, it's simple. We can be hugged by _any _woman. However, a robot woman may be in experimentation."

Kyo huffed, "Great. Why not leave it at that and do the chores, _ourselves_?"

Shigure sighed, "Boys, boys, boys… I see why our guest has chosen to go for automation. Plus, the last time you two washed was a disaster."

Yuki explained, "Kyo was washing too hard."

"SHUT UP! You always pile it on high!" Kyo yelled.

Shigure sighed in embarrassment, as Yuki and Kyo started to bicker.

* * *

><p><em>Of course… the Sohmas are about to experience Maidens for Hire, in the WORST way possible…<em>

_The Sohmas, thirteen of them, are all cursed by being hugged by the opposite sex, since most of the family consists of men (about 10/13 are male). It is said that if a Sohma is hugged by the opposing gender, __or__ if they are sick or under stress, they turn into an animal from the Chinese Zodiac for a brief amount of time. (Curse magic is temporary; cursed Sohma turn back to normal, but fully naked)_

_As you see, Tohru Honda knows about the Sohma Curse, but is confused about if a Maiden or Butler can hug one of them. We're about to find out._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Maiden Universe in<strong>__**:**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Maiden Triple Threat<br>The Defective Trio  
><strong>__**(**_**メイデン****ユニバース****11**_**)**_

* * *

><p>As Tohru left through the forest, a girl, who distinctly looks like Tohru, along with two others, wearing matching blue and white Maiden uniforms, appeared in the pathway. The Tohru double looked at the house from far away. She then smiled.<p>

"Target acquired…" she beeped in a robotic voice, "Three potential units inside."

She and her friends marched in unison to the Sohmas house.

We'd like to tell you that they are Maidens for Hire. But for what purpose?

**XXXXX**

For meanwhile, at the Tokyo branch of _Maidens for Hire_, Terry Stanton appeared and was worried.

"What is it?" A woman asked.

"Did you toss out those three Maidens?" Terry asked.

"No, sir," she said, "I had them set for dismantling."

"Well, they're gone, trainee Tsuki."

"Well, I figured that they'd be dismantled already. They're somewhat a defective bunch."

"That makes sense. If they were still in one piece, we'd locate them."

Callie Tsuki, a new employee in the Maiden for Hire branch, with a blue jumpsuit and blonde hair, exclaimed that the three Maidens were defective. Stanton wanted to repair them, but was too late.

"Say, Tsuki," he insisted, "See if you can keep an eye on them, if they _did _escaped."

"Huh? How so?" she asked.

"Because Tomo Model (Version 2) and Kagura Model were once escapees in the _Maidens for Hire_ grand opening. We cannot go through another one like that."

"Oh… I see. Did it end badly?"

"Talk to Tomo, if you can; or Miss Mizuhara or Miss Sawachika, if they're not busy."

"I will."

"By the way, which Models were they?"

Tsuki then said, "From what I gather… They are Models #T0478, #1R451, and #51K4 – The Tohru, Arisa, and Saki Models, _respectively_."

Terry nodded and said, "Okay… Carry on, then."

He left, as Tsuki cringed, "Ah, crap! It's _those _three! I couldn't stand to tell the truth!"

She remembered what the three Maidens did… and was terrified. But what?

**XXXXX**

"This is the place," the Tohru Maiden stated, "Three people are in here. We shall do what we can to make sure we stand tall as Maidens for Hire."

A Maiden with long blonde hair and a Maiden with long black hair appeared by the Tohru Maiden. Seems to me that the Maidens resemble Tohru, Arisa Uotani, and Saki Hanajima… only more perky and ample.

_THEY are those three Maidens?_

The Arisa Maiden exclaimed, "Sounds like a plan… Tohru."

The Hana-Chan Maiden stated, "Perhaps we shall introduce ourselves to them. I sense that they are in need of our help."

The Tohru Maiden sneered, "At last, the stupid human girl has left. I can tell. Perhaps we shall take her place and comfort the men into our lives."

They all turned their LED eyes green and scanned the area. The Arisa Maiden was concerned.

"Tohru," she said, "It seems there may be a disturbance in the household."

There was… because at the Sohma residence, an argument began.

"NO! NO WAY I WILL!" Kyo shouted, "Can you imagine if a Butler may look like one of us or any other person?"

"The same goes for the Maiden, but don't get your hopes up, if the Maiden resembles Kagura," Shigure explained.

"I DON'T WANT THAT!" He cried, "_One _Kagura is enough! A robot for _Pleasure Mode_, which resembles Kagura, it's a nightmare!"

Yuki quietly said, "Well, we should ask the company about it."

Kyo snapped, "That could take weeks! Tohru doesn't come back, until then!"

He huffed outside and went to the roof.

Shigure sighed and smirked, "Well, I approve of the idea. After all, we _are _grateful to Tohru Honda, after all the times we shared."

Yuki nodded, as the door knocked. He got and opened the door. There, he saw the three Maidens in attention.

"NOW! Formation!" The Tohru Maiden cried, as the trio did their dance, similar to the _Prince Yuki Fan Club's _own dance, except a little stiff and robotic.

They stood in attention and saluted, "We are your Maidens for Hire. We are the three-for-one special!"

The Hana Maiden cheered, which her expressions were nowhere near the real Hanajima, "I am Model #51K4 – Saki Model!"

The Uo Maiden smiled, which her hair waved in the air, with a cute smile, "I am Model #1R451 – Arisa Model!"

The Tohru Maiden saluted and winked, "And I am the leader, Tohru Model #T0478!"

They said together, "We offer guaranteed service for you! We provide you cooking, cleaning, and anything you desire."

The Tohru Maiden giggled, "Special thanks to Koyomi Mizuhara, our creator!"

They stand in their poses, as Yuki smiled and thought aloud, "Tohru and her friends may be playing us. We didn't even order and it was nice of them to do it for us."

He asked, "Won't you come in?"

**XXXXX**

Shigure introduced himself to the Maidens, "I'm Shigure Sohma, and this is my cousin, Yuki Sohma."

Yuki bowed, "Hello."

The Maidens bowed back, "Good day to you, Masters Yuki and Shigure."

Shigure stated, "There's another with us, but he's just angry over the whole Maiden thing."

Yuki said, "He was against the idea of having robots in our home."

Tohru Maiden smirked, "Oh, don't be ridiculous. ALL users are obliged to be treated with the proper guaranteed services."

Shigure giggled, "This is a joke, isn't it?"

Yuki shook his head and said, "No. They _do _look like them, but they seemed different from before."

Shigure got up and said, "I'm calling Kyo."

He called to Kyo and shouted that three Maidens appeared. Kyo jumped down and saw the Maidens, confusingly thinking that they are Tohru and her friends, in disguise.

"NO WAY! REAL LIFE MAIDENS?" He cried, "OUT! OUT! OUT!"

Shigure covered his mouth and giggled to the Maidens, "Would you excuse us, ladies?"

The boys went to the other room, as the Maidens wait on.

In the other room, Kyo was angry.

"What gives? This is a joke!" Kyo snapped.

"Kyo, this is sudden," Shigure said, "But we all know that it was only to make them feel better. Besides, Tohru _did _dress up like them for the occasion, but they're fine. They're okay with helping us, in our hour of need."

Kyo huffed, "Well, they didn't have to impersonate as Maidens, now would they?"

Yuki stated, "To be honest, Miss Honda and her friends, dressed as Maidens, kind of baffles me. I think they're playing a trick on us. If it is, I blame Ayame. If not, then they just want to be happy."

Shigure then stated, "Well, we'll play along with it, but remember, they must _not _know about the Sohma Curse."

They nodded, "Agreed."

Shigure stepped back inside and said to the Maidens, "Ladies, make yourself at home, and remember to become the Maidens that you are. You will start tomorrow, by cleaning our rooms and dishes."

The Hana Maiden bowed, "Understood… Shigure Sohma."

The Uo Maiden smiled, "We shall do our best, Yuki Sohma."

The Tohru Maiden then winked, "Give us the job, and Maidens for Hire will do the rest, Kyo Sohma."

Shigure grinned, "Fast learners."

Kyo groaned, "Tomorrow's a busy day."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, outside the city, Tohru suddenly felt a chill.<p>

"Tohru, what's wrong?" The _real _Uo asked.

Tohru replied, "I don't know… I have a sudden feeling that Yuki and the others are in danger."

She then whispered, "And it could be my own fault…"

Uo smiled, "Oh, relax. They'll be fine. You _did _give them the pamphlet."

"You're probably right," she said, "I just wish that they'll handle the situation, just fine. Besides, they _are _messy people. They just needed a new (but temporary) backup solution."

* * *

><p><em><strong>You may be right, Tohru… But the next chapter says different.<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>The boys may be clueless, since they thought that the Maidens were the <strong>__**real**__** Tohru, Uo, and Hana. But we'll soon find out.**_

_**See you soon!**_


	2. Getting to Know the Maidens

_**Maiden Triple Threat  
>Part Two: Get to Know the Maidens<strong>_

* * *

><p>The three Maidens began to work, the next morning. They started to make breakfast for them. The three plates they made were simply a basic waffle dish, completely dark brown with butter.<p>

"Eat hearty, my young masters," the Tohru Maiden exclaimed, "Today is our first day together."

Shigure grinned, "Thank you. Perhaps we should talk together about our rules here."

Tohru smirked, "No need. We know about you. If you need anything… and I mean _anything_… please address to us."

Yuki smiled, "They're somewhat hospitable."

Kyo growled quietly, "Well, as long as they can keep up."

The three Maidens retire to their rooms, as Shigure was concerned.

He said to them, "Boys, Miss Tohru Honda is simply a good performer. Perhaps I should write it in my next story. Despite the fact that she knows about us, she and her friends must make themselves at home. Each Maiden there is so unique. We'll have to interview them, when we get the chance."

Kyo said, "True… But how will we know, for sure? Maybe they _are _Maidens for Hire, or maybe they're _not_. Besides, the waffles they made looked a bit burnt."

"Maybe. But we'll see. For now, be on your best behavior. Maidens tend to behave like mothers who treat their kids with proper respect."

"What? I cannot have it! No way will our Maidens be respected as our mothers."

"Okay, but if they hug us, Akito will be sore about it."

Yuki snapped, "No! You'll give Akito _no such thing!_"

Shigure nodded, as Yuki knew what could happen, if Tohru ever tell about the curse. Of course, _these _Maidens are genuine… and somewhat glitch-worthy.

Meanwhile, at the front room, the Maidens finished their cleaning, in record time.

_One minute and forty-two seconds (UNOFFICIAL Sohma house record – currently held by Tohru Honda)_

The Arisa Maiden said, "I think we're going to like it here."

The Hana Maiden replied, "It's been day one. We'll be happy to give out a helping hand."

Tohru Maiden barked, "Ladies, let us hope we can achieve our goal. We didn't escape the Maidens Compound for something."

Arisa Maiden said, "Pooh… Think of our backbreaking walk of pain we did. We had part-time jobs, we had a nice place to live, and all the kilohertz we can charge."

Tohru smirked evilly, "At least we found a way to replace that miserable _human _me. We knew that she'd leave for something."

Hana Maiden asked, "Miss Tohru Model, where did she go, exactly?"

"I don't know… Something about a vacation with her best friends," she replied.

She then said, "We are here for one goal: _guaranteed service and success!_ Maidens tend to stay for a month. And with the ever popular (or so I've heard) Yuki Sohma living here, we got it made (NO pun intended). If we succeed, Tohru Honda is gone…"

She laughed evilly, as Shigure returned to the front room and called to Tohru Maiden.

"Do you have a minute?" He asked her.

Tohru Maiden smiled, "Coming!"

She pranced off, as the Arisa Maiden whispered, "I'll handle Kyo… You handle the hot Yuki."

Hana Maiden bowed and said, "Understood."

**XXXXX**

Shigure then asked her if she would read his manuscript for a story. He has finished about fifty pages, but he has until Tuesday to finish it. The Maiden exclaimed that it's only been Sunday.

"When _are _you going to bring it in?" She asked.

Shigure said, "I got until Tuesday the 16th. I need to create a 70-page short story for Micchan."

Tohru smiled and bowed, "But Master Shigure… today is the twentieth."

He was shocked, as Tohru was a bit annoyed.

She then pointed her finger and shouted, while scolding, "What kind of person would skip the deadline so badly? You are simply too much, Shigure! I forbid you to skip another day! You should've known better than to do such an indolent thing!"

She wagged her finger and scolded him for minutes on end. Shigure was embarrassed, since he's being scolded by a robot maid; especially a robot maid that resembles Tohru.

"I knew I forgot something…" he thought in sadness, "At least she's right about my work."

"And another thing…" she shouted, as she grabbed his manuscript, "What the heck is this you're writing? It's filth! Of course, I'm lying, since _Pleasure Mode _is in me."

She grabbed Shigure and gave him the manuscript. She shouted, "Finish it now! And the minute you're finished, return to your publicist and present it. Then, apologize to her, for being late!"

The phone rang, and it was his publicist, Micchan. Tohru Maiden answered the phone and said hello. The publicist told her that she's waiting on Shigure's story. Tohru Maiden said that he's sorry for being late, but he is finishing up, as promised. She hung up and turned to him, with a scowl. She held up her broom and shouted, "GET TO WORK!"

Shigure began writing, as he sobbed, "All I wanted was help from the story! She's a very tenacious 'Maiden' that Tohru Honda is."

**XXXXX**

The Hanajima double appeared by Yuki, who was relaxing. She asked if there's anything on his mind.

"Well, I was just resting a while, since Miss Honda is gone for two weeks."

"I see," Hana Maiden said, "Maybe there's someone else, aside from Kyo, Shigure, and Miss Honda, that you wish to speak with…"

"Well… There _is _my brother, Ayame Sohma."

The Hana Maiden blushed and said, "Ayame… What does he do?"

Yuki turned away and huffed. The Maiden smiled and said, "I think maybe you need to see him. Perhaps you need to spend, at least a day with him. I won't mind. After all, you need your brother's side."

"No."

"Aw, please?"

She kneeled to him and started to glow her LED eyes in a hue of lavender, almost similar to Hanajima's evil eyes. Yuki was a bit shocked, as Hana Maiden blushed and was sad.

"Saki Model…"

"Call me Saki."

"Saki, I know what you're trying to do, but…"

"Think about it! Please? For your sake, give me one good reason why you cannot. I never met him, but you should, at the very least, explain it."

"Okay… but promise that you'd _only _tell your sisters, and _no one _else."

Saki Model smiled, "I promise."

"Well, Ayame may be my brother, but I dislike everything he does. He talks big and he is so narcissistic. He even once told some stories, about his past, in which they were stupid and nonsensical. I sometimes wish that he was nothing but a fool. And yet, Shigure always respect him, since he, Ayame, and Hatori used to go to school together."

Hana Maiden nodded, "I see…"

Yuki responded, "Well, I guess you'd understand it now. I cannot go see him. I'm better off here, for the present."

She then started to shake in fear, "But… But… But you and Ayame are brothers. I know sometimes you and your friends don't like him, but it's all good! He's your brother, and you love him, so much!"

He asked, "Are you okay?"

He gasped, as he saw the robot in tears. "Are you crying?"

"No… But… I wouldn't be like you. Back then, I have many brothers and sisters, including Tohru Model and Arisa Model, but I remember that there were so many Maidens and Butlers that left."

She then whimpered, "I've lost so many, and I cared for them. And when you told me about Ayame, it was so hurtful. Ayame must really care for you. I know it's tough, but I don't want to see him heartbroken. He's your brother."

She then concluded, with a sob, "And I cannot bear to see you abandon him…"

She cried on his shoulder, as she thought, "_He's buying it…_"

Yuki thought, "She's not like the real Hanajima."

He sighed and said, "Okay… I suppose I should visit Ayame today."

Saki sobbed and smiled, "You mean it?"

Yuki then huffed, as he left, "But for two things: I'm doing this under protest, and I cannot stand to see a Maiden for Hire cry like that."

He left to see Ayame, as Hana Maiden giggled, wiping her tears, "Sucker… He bought it."

_Whoa! How sinister…_

**XXXXX**

The Arisa Maiden appeared by Kyo, who was sitting on the porch.

"Would you like to come inside?" She asked, "The weather is simply nice out, but it's going to rain."

"I'll pass," he said, "I have to go train."

She was curious, "Oh? Are you like a fighter?"

"More like a martial artist… except that I never fought at Yuki. In fact, I go out training, just to improve. Here's something you should know: If I even land a punch on him, I don't live here anymore!"

"When does _that _come in effect?"

"By graduation. Otherwise, I'm screwed. So far, no success… I'll be gone long, but I'll return shortly. I know you girls. I'll come back."

Arisa bowed, "I'll go with you. We Maidens are experts at _Self-Defense, _whenever _Pleasure Mode _is disabled. Maybe I can help you with your problems with Yuki."

Kyo huffed, "I don't need a robot, or some human-shaped training dummy, in my way! I'll be fine… _myself!_"

Arisa shouted, "Be back by nightfall, or else, young man! I cannot stand to have you in the woods, all by your lonesome! If anything happens to you, I'll be heart-."

Kyo ignored her and ran off. Arisa sighed, "And… he left. The minute he comes back, he's getting an earful."

**XXXXX**

Eventually, he came back. The Maidens, at dinner, prepared a sushi platter; made with some foods they got with them.

"Wow! I never knew you had food like this!" Shigure cried.

Tohru Maiden smiled, "Well, you have a mere quantity of food. But luckily, my sisters and I were happy to oblige with our own food we have carried. And it is all for free. We go shopping for food, you know."

Kyo smirked, "As long as there're no leeks in it."

"So, Master Yuki," Hana exclaimed, "How was your visit with Ayame?"

Yuki turned away and said, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh… so you went to see your brother, Yuki?" Shigure asked, "I see you want to make amends with him."

Hana Maiden replied, "It was _my _idea. He felt lonely."

Kyo smiled, "How pathetic."

Tohru Maiden exclaimed, "Like we said, _anything _at all, you tell us. Oh, and Shigure… Please make sure that you finish your manuscript by tonight, or else you get _nothing _from me."

Shigure sobbed, "I know. I'm sorry."

Kyo cried, "HEY! Leave him alone, Honda-Bot! He doesn't mean well!"

Yuki exclaimed, "He's used to missing deadlines."

Kyo shouted, "HEY! _I _was supposed to say it!"

Yuki smiled, "Oh, well…"

Kyo grabbed Yuki's collar and shouted, "You buttinski rat! Just because you and your brother talked, it doesn't make you better than me!"

He was about to punch him, but Arisa Maiden grabbed his wrist and gave him an armlock.

"That's enough!" She snapped, "You need a time-out, young man!"

"But… You were worried about me, hours ago!"

"That was different, but you never listen to me. I refuse to have any roommates fight amongst each other!"

Yuki smiled and said, "Thank you. I'm glad to have _some _peace here."

Kyo growled, "You're kidding!"

Arisa hugged Kyo and said, "Aw, there, there. It was an honest mistake, okay?"

Yuki and Shigure gasped, "She hugged him!"

But nothing…

"What is this?" Shigure thought.

Tohru smiled, "Let's try to keep our limits and violence limited."

"Kyo, perhaps you need to go to your room," Arisa smiled.

Kyo snapped in anger, "THIS IS WHY I DISAPPROVE OF YOU!"

**SLAP!**

Yuki slapped Kyo, "Shame on you. You do not raise your voice at our guests!"

Hana Maiden bowed and said, "No fighting in any dinner table… EVER!"

Tohru smiled, "It's very bad manners."

Arisa dragged Kyo away, "Now, on to bed, and you get NO dessert."

Hana Maiden grabbed Yuki and escorted him to his room, "You, too, Mr. Slapper."

Yuki sighed, "I apologize for that."

Shigure then sighed, "It's never-ending."

Tohru bowed and apologized, "I'm so sorry. I'll see to it that it will not happen again."

Shigure nodded, "For your sake, I hope it won't. Now, how about we retire to my room, dear?"

She then barked, "Not until you finish your manuscript! Besides, I need to recharge for the night."

He smiled and said, "Okay, good night, then. And I'll finish tomorrow. I promise to bring it in to Micchan, by then."

He then asked, "Say… Shall I offer your assistance, please? I'm kind of stuck on one part."

Tohru giggled, "You're funny, Master Shigure. Good night."

She left, as Shigure moaned, "This is beginning to be a troubled day."

But the days continued on, as the three Maidens continued to make the Sohmas' lives miserable and/or enjoyable.

* * *

><p><em><strong>To be continued…<strong>_

* * *

><p>Yuki was in his room, thinking about what occurred earlier.<p>

"Hmm… These Maidens are immune to the Sohma Curse," he thought, "I guess they _are _genuine machines."

He went to sleep, as the Tohru Maiden went to her chair to recharge. Both the Hana and Uo Maidens were on their chairs, plugged in and motionless. Tohru smiled and said, "Operation: Live with Sohmas and be rid of Torhu Honda, day one, is all finished."

She giggled evilly, as she plugged herself in, "She thinks she can live with them… _I'm _the true Tohru. Once we earn our respect from the boys, they'll toss her out, like a bum on stilts… or something."

She clicked her eyes closed, as her giggles faded.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Wait! How did she know about Tohru Honda? What is their REAL purpose of living here?<strong>_

_**Find out in the next chapter!**_


	3. The Defective Trio's Past

_**Maiden Triple Threat  
>Part 3: The Defective Trio's Past<strong>_

* * *

><p>Days had passed, and the trio of Maidens handled their services well for the Sohmas. However, on day two…<p>

Tohru Maiden scowled, "Why aren't you going to present your manuscript?"

Shigure sighed, "I got a call from my publicist, and she gave me an extra week to present the deadline. I'm cool. Give me three days to finish."

Tohru held up the manuscript and asked, "You mean _this_ manuscript? I made an allotted page count and found that it's finished; ALL seventy pages!"

He smiled, "No hurry. I'll be happy to present it, but seriously, I have to appear in about a week."

"Then I suggest you remember, this time," she said in a stern look, "You have slowly earned my respect, but you have slowly _tried _my patience!"

Shigure bowed in a panicked manner, "I'm sorry! Don't do it anymore! I didn't mean to!"

She smiled, "Aw, don't be. Like I said, you're cute. How about tomorrow, we celebrate with a kiss?"

Shigure then thought, "Hmmm… Maybe… I know these Maidens are just dolls, and _not _female, per se, but why not? I am intrigued, plus fascinated by her smile."

He said, "I suppose so. How about tomorrow, after dinner, come by my room and sleep with me?"

"Nights are for my sisters and our meeting recaps. I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"So, when _is _the right time for a kiss?"

Tohru left and giggled. He was very confused.

"Funny. She's a spunky one, I'll say that. But I am guessing that she is no ordinary Maiden; but she _is _still a robot."

**XXXXX**

Day four featured Kyo on the roof. Arisa and Tohru Maidens were about to re-shingle the roof. He was lying on the roof, thinking, as Tohru appeared, with a hammer in place.

"Master Kyo," she asked, "Please get down. I must work on the roof. It may rain again today, so we cannot afford another leak."

"No. I just need some time of peace; and also, _away _from your parental authority figure," he groaned, "Besides, I like to see the sky on here."

"Well, there's a time and a place for that and that is a _window_! You should try it."

"I'll pass. I know I am not good today, but I just like to clear my head."

"Do you also know that injuries occur, if on a roof? About 20% die of an accident, while 40% of the people in the world get hurt! I cannot let you hurt yourself."

"I'm fine!"

"Look, I know you have had problems, since we met, but I'm only going to say this nicely. Please get off the roof. I promise that we won't…"

She stuttered and said, "I… I… We won't…"

"Whatever you say is fine," Kyo said, "But I'll get off, once I am in serene."

Tohru couldn't take it. She grabbed Kyo by the ankle and threw him off.

"GET! OFF! THE! DAMN! ROOF!"

**WHAM!**

He plummeted to the ground, all dizzy.

"Arisa, when we finish, tend to his injuries," Tohru Maiden said, as she started on the roof.

"Yes, Tohru," she said, "You be careful, too, Tohru Model."

Yuki watched on and was shocked, "Kyo! How did it happen?"

Kyo grumbled, "I don't want to talk about it!"

He got up and went inside. Yuki looked up and was concerned.

"Did _she _do this?" He thought.

**XXXXX**

Then on day six, Kyo and Yuki were in a meeting, inside the hallway.

"Those Maidens have got to go!" Kyo snapped, "First, Tohru nearly injured me, then, Hanajima made you see Ayame, which you didn't like, because the _Maiden _cried, and they made Shigure a quivering mess!"

Yuki said, "We were just intimidated. But they haven't got to me yet. I'm calm for these great robots."

Kyo shouted, "ROBOTS? We're being punked! Those aren't Maidens for Hire, they're really them! Tohru! Arisa! Hanajima!"

"Correct me if I am wrong, but Arisa Robot _did _hugged you."

"So?"

"You're not a cat!"

"Who cares? It's probably immunity, or it's probably Akito's doing!"

"As much as I figured it might be… I'll try and talk to him about it. For now, we better wait for dinner."

"Good. Anything those Maidens make is better than Tohru's, but I'm starting to miss her. Plus, I look forward to a leek-less dinner."

The following hour, Kyo got a special dinner from Saki Maiden and Arisa Maiden.

"Enjoy!" They cheered.

It was Kyo's delicious dish… or the most hated vegetable of all: LEEK!

"Ta-da!" Arisa cheered, "Our _Maiden #1 Leek Surprise_! Exclusively for you!"

Hana Maiden asked, "Would you like a bowl?"

Kyo started to fume, as he was _livid beyond belief_, "YOU KNOW THAT I DESPISE LEEKS!"

"I forget to tell you, didn't I?" Shigure grinned to the Maidens, "He's not a fan of leeks or miso soup."

"Aw, and we had miso soup, yesterday," Tohru whined, "That's too bad."

"WHAT?" Kyo screamed, "WHY?"

Shigure smiled and said, "I'll tell you what… Make another dish, for Kyo's request. Chop-chop."

Tohru Maiden bellowed, "Nothing doing! We are Maidens for Hire and we must serve him well!"

She then shook and spark and bit.

"…serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH! …serve him well! GTCH!"

Hana Maiden smacked the back of her head and reverted to normal.

"Sorry. Must be a glitch," she bowed.

Shigure then asked, "Are you okay?"

"ME? NO! Uh, we Maidens… are… No, I'm fine! I'm not a defective unit!"

"You sound like it, if you ask me."

Yuki retorted, "Perhaps we need to check you for repairs. I hear that it's free."

"NO!" The three Maidens shouted in fear.

Tohru shivered and said, "Uh… No, no… We've handled it ourselves…"

Kyo sighed and said, "And you're supposed to give us anything that we desire? Defective, is right…"

Arisa restrained him, as Hana Maiden force-fed him the Leek surprise. Kyo started to gag, as Arisa Maiden pleaded him to swallow. He did, as Tohru Maiden giggled, "We'll be fine. I'm so happy that you enjoyed us, even though we find you hot and handsome, yet very uncooperative."

Arisa Maiden giggled, "Oh, yes… We find it very…"

Hana concluded, "…mind-numbing."

Shigure then asked, "Uh, okay. You three are simply very rowdy Maidens. I like it, since it's fun, while you tend to clean, cook, and everything else."

Tohru Maiden thought quietly, "Shut up!"

She then smiled and bowed, "It's not _always_ fun for us, since Maidens are somewhat a working unit; by that, I mean, _house_work.

He said, "Ah, well, very well. Maybe on the day before Tohru returns, I could invite all of our friends to see you, including Akito Sohma."

Kyo, all green, gasped and thought aloud, "That's it!"

Yuki then thought to himself, "No… Something about those Maidens really bugs me."

He grew suspicious, as Kyo was in a bit sickness.

What will unfold for the Maidens, and why are they so glitchy?

* * *

><p>Let's find out. The next morning, at the compound, Callie Tsuki was still in pain, on the inside. She went to see Terry Stanton, who was resting on a bench.<p>

"Mister Stanton?" She asked, "Can I have a moment of your time?"

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's about the Maidens that we… we, uh…"

"Well?"

She cried out, "I cannot hide it any longer! When I was asked to dismantle the three Maidens, I never thought they'd be violent!"

"What happened?"

She then whimpered, "It's time you knew… Last month, I was to deliver the Maidens to you, I got beat up by the Maidens!"

"Which ones?"

"The Maidens we were gonna dismantle!"

"Them?"

"Yes…"

Terry then growled, "Tohru…"

He nodded and said, "This kind of thing happened before. I believe you."

Callie sobbed, "Really?"

"Yes," he said, "I'm afraid that these Maidens have escaped again from me."

"You knew of them?"

"Yes."

He then growled quietly, "I should've broken Tohru into bits, the minute I turned her off!"

Callie was confused, "What's that?"

"Oh!" Terry exclaimed, "I'm afraid you don't know about these Maidens, more than I do… especially Tohru Model #T0478."

"You knew about it?"

"I do. And I still have the security tape to prove it."

He then explained the story to Callie, about how he first met Tohru Maiden:

_Five months ago, we built a Maiden that resembles a young girl. In fact, we met a Miss Tohru Honda, who was visiting the factory for a special occasion she wanted to try, a while back. Anyway, I was visiting the Maidens for Hire – Tokyo Branch, at the time, and had to help out one particular Maiden, which has yet to be tested. It was the same Maiden we have built: Model #T0478 – Tohru Model. I was assigned to add the finishing touches and repairs, but she suddenly woke up._

_He was fixing Tohru Maiden, when she opened her LED blue eyes. She turned to him and bowed._

"_Hello, young man, I am Tohru Model #T0478. I'm your Maiden for Hire." She introduced._

_Terry stated, "I am Terry Stanton, and I am from the Yagami Branch of Maidens for Hire. I came here to fix you, before we can test you."_

"_Why? What's wrong with me?"_

"_You might be a bit shaky. We haven't tested you, but we shall try and see if we can make you a perfect Maiden."_

_Tohru Maiden shook her head and said, "No. I refuse to be fixed up. I'm happy for myself. I have an illustrious Blue Maiden outfit, and I am happy to be alive."_

"_Well, I want to know why you reactivated yourself, like that!"_

"_Wouldn't you like to know?"_

"_I mean it! It must be a glitch in your programming!"_

"_Hands off, you perverted mechanic!"_

_Terry growled, "Okay, this is too much!" He grabbed a screwdriver and was about to use it._

_The Maiden grabbed his hand and snapped, "NO! No way is some glorified grease monkey taking me apart!"_

_Terry cried, "I'm not! You don't understand!"_

"_LIAR!"_

"_Tohru Maiden, it's obvious that you are self-reliant!"_

"_So what if I am! I refuse to be dismantled by the likes of you, or anyone else! I want a life! NOW!"_

"_No. Only Maidens and Butlers that chose to must earn it; and YOU have no right."_

_The Maiden growled and was fuming, "NO! I will NOT let you take it away! I belong to this company and will not be a pawn to the business! I want to be happy and not by some stupid user!"_

_Terry broke free and shouted, "YOU'RE STUPID! You don't even deserve to be a Maiden for Hire with THAT attitude!"_

_She grabbed a screwdriver and pointed it at Terry. She tried to cut him, but couldn't._

"_Back! Don't make me kill you!" she shouted._

"_I guess that settles it then…" He smiled._

_He grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her to the wall, face-first._

"_Let me go! AHH! I refuse to be dismantled!" She shrieked, "NO! Let me go, or I WILL kill you!"_

_Terry gasped, "Sorry! But THAT threat is unacceptable! You wouldn't even try!"_

_She then shook and spark, "NO! I, I, I, I… want to be free! …be free! GTCH! …be free! GTCH! …be free! GTCH! …be free! GTCH! …be free!"_

_He then thought, "Defective… Yes. She's bossy, independent, and somewhat of a mess, if angry. Her emotional circuits are a mess."_

_He then pressed her button and barked, "Consider yourself fired!"_

_She wound down and dropped her arms, ending in a slur. Terry then turned her around and removed her blouse. He then pulled out some red tape, marked "DEFECTIVE", and labeled it onto her stomach. He then sighed, as he placed her on her podium and repaired her neck module._

"_This way she won't be reactivating herself," he said._

_And as I repaired the Tohru Maiden, she was off, and remained off, until it was time. I figured that she was a hugely independent Maiden, but everybody knows that Maidens are to give guaranteed service; NOT threats to the users. I had no choice. By tonight, before I leave, Tohru Maiden is long gone. But then, I saw two other Maidens, with the same uniform. I thought maybe that they might follow Tohru Maiden's rule. I didn't want to take any chances. So, I declared them defective, and was on my way._

_But that night, I did some checking on the repair bay and reviewed the three Maidens. I was ready to take the Maiden home with me. Now, you're thinking I might take her home and fool around with her. I am… but only to destroy her. However, as I turned around, I heard small footsteps. As I grabbed the toolkit, which was a purpose to dismantle the defective Maiden…_

_**BAM!**_

Terry growled, "And _that's _what happened. After I woke up, my head was aching. And when I turned around, the Tohru, Arisa, and Saki Maidens disappeared. I didn't know what. I thought someone was trying to steal the Maidens. I was right… until I saw the security tape!"

Callie gasped, "So, these Maidens are independent?"

"Not just independent… They're _evil!_ For some reason, the Maidens have experienced their freewill and own emotions! But all three of them are defective!"

"And you let them go?"

"They just disappeared… and I couldn't find them. I thought they might've been already destroyed. And then, Mister West sent me back to Yagami, telling me that my day is finished."

Callie then cringed, "The cameras don't lie… It happened to me, and I was… I was…"

She wailed, "I was beaten up by the Defective Maidens!"

She cried, as Terry nodded, "It's okay. Just tell me what happened, last month. I _did _hear the order, last week, though."

"Well…"

She explained what happened:

_I was about to take some Maidens away with me, just to repair them, but the Arisa Maiden and the Saki Maiden appeared in the repair bay. They greeted to me, and were polite, but I told them that it's over. I heard about them and told them off quietly. They were all going to be trash. The Maidens were sad, and they mentioned the Tohru Model._

"_It's going to be sad, now that Tohru, Arisa, and I are going to be scrap metal," Hana Maiden sobbed._

_Callie said, "I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I didn't know what to do."_

_And that was when…_

"_Hey! Newbie!" Tohru shouted, "Do you know of a Mister Terry Stanton?"_

"_Oh, yes. I used to work with him, when I visited the Yagami Branch of Maidens for Hire."_

_Tohru giggled evilly, "That's what I thought. See, we're bailing this pop stand and work on a Maiden-to-User work ethic. And it DOESN'T involve you!"_

_Callie cried, "Oh, no! I cannot let you escape!"_

"_Arisa! Saki!" She barked._

_They grabbed Callie, as Tohru giggled. She then socked her in the gut and shouted, "HUH? What's that, grease monkey?"_

_She and her sisters continue to pummel her. Tohru started to shake, as they finished._

"_You BETTER not tell Stanton, or ANYBODY ELSE, that we escaped, or we're coming back to you! Understand?"_

_Callie was out, while crying in tears, "Darn you…"_

_Arisa Maiden giggled, "That was fun. Let's beat it now."_

"_No one calls us defective and gets away with it." Hana Maiden cheered._

_Tohru Maiden snickered, "We're all set. We leave to Tohru Honda's house, tomorrow."_

_She then whispered, "Let's go."_

_Callie was in pain, as the Maidens exited the repair bay._

"I was too scared!" she whimpered, "I _did _overhear that she wanted to destroy a Tohru Honda!"

Terry cried, "NO! It was as they said! The Tohru Maiden must've overheard it, when Miss Honda visited us, a while back."

"You don't think?" Callie whimpered, "They might kill her?"

"No, Miss Tsuki. Maidens and Butlers follow the _Three Laws of Robotics. _The Tohru Maiden tried to kill me, but she couldn't."

"Oh."

"Well, I better see the video tape and see what transpired."

They left to the security room, to watch the video that happened.

"By the way," Callie asked, "Why did you take the tape? Wouldn't Miss Mizuhara, Mister West, or anybody hear wind of it?"

"I'm afraid not," Terry said, "If I showed it, then they'd go look for her, in an All-Japan hunt of the _Defective Trio_! Besides…"

He gleamed in confidence, "Tohru Model is _mine!_ I have a score to settle with that fembot!"

* * *

><p>That night, Kyo was outside, waiting for the <em>Defective Trio.<em> Arisa was crossed, as the Maidens were watching on.

"Yuki and Shigure are asleep," she said, "Why aren't you?"

Kyo snapped, "I've had enough of this crap! You three have ruined my life!"

Tohru smiled and giggled, "But Master Kyo, we only wanted to provide you with guaranteed service. It's one of our traits."

Kyo snapped, "Save it, you insidious little wind-up doll! You have nearly broke my neck, you treat me like a kid, you drove Shigure into a madness spiral, because you forced him to do his late manuscript, you treat Yuki with crocodile tears, but on top of all that… YOU SERVE ME LEEKS! YOU KNOW THAT I _HATE _LEEKS!"

The Hana Maiden smiled, "If that's how you feel, then we shall give you what you want."

"Then leave! You three are a menace to the Sohma Family! I understand now! You're like the mothers we _don't _want! You're even worse than Kagura or Akito or Haru or Ayame! You three are _horrible _Maidens!"

Tohru let out a smile, as she inquired, "Now, why would you say that?"

She let out a sad look, in tears, "You must be mean to us…"

She then let out a smile and said, "But as your Maidens, we sha-."

"NO! ENOUGH! I WANT YOU THREE TO LEAVE! NOW! GO BACK TO THE JUNKYARD!"

Tohru then let out an evil look, with her face all frowned.

"So… You refuse to give us the benefit of guaranteed service." She informed, "You just _had _to keep talking about it. You are such a very wild user."

She then bowed, "Then, as Maidens for Hire, we shall abide by your request…"

She let out an evil smile, "…and disobey you!"

Kyo was shocked, as Tohru continued, "You see, I only came here, just to replace your girlfriend. Tohru Honda, right?"

"You know about her?"

"Yes." She snickered, "In fact, she was the one to convince me to visit you. She was given the tour, and I somehow heard everything on it. I learned that _her _name was Tohru, too; and she looked like me. I knew the time was right to escape. Luckily, we escaped, attacking a worker, just to grow near her."

Arisa added, "But, as we escaped, we had NO home or electricity, or high-speed internet."

Saki grinned, "So, we took a part-time job at a local Cosplay Café, and were given the identities of Miss Honda, Miss Hanajima, and Miss Uotani."

Tohru smiled, "The boss was nice to us, as we were given a home, as we had nowhere else to go. He was kind enough to let us have a place of our own. We get the food we buy, the money we earned, the clothes we wear, and all the voltage we can consume, to recharge. But then, we heard that Miss Honda lived in a small shack in the woods. We followed her, the minute we learned she was leaving for two weeks."

She then grinned, "And THAT is why we're here."

Kyo cried, "Now I get it. Tohru didn't order you girls _or _we didn't order you! You were FREELANCE!"

The Maidens laughed, as Tohru stood in place.

"GO! Formation!"

They performed the _Prince Yuki Fan Club _dance, all robotic and stiff, in front of Kyo. They stood in attention, after that, as Tohru smirked.

"I forbid you to tell this to anyone," she said, "We get paid this month, and we will have Tohru Honda gone, since WE are the Maidens for Hire that _you three _own!"

Kyo growled, "Okay! You three are dead! I know I cannot hurt girls, but you are _not _girls! I am NOT listening to your crap, anymore! Freeloading Maidens, time to go!"

Tohru smiled and giggled, "I grew bored of you."

She turned to Arisa Maiden, "Deal with him."

"Yes, sister," she bowed.

"Saki Model, we retire," she called, as they left the Uo Maiden with Kyo.

They both stood in place and were about to fight.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said, "If I defeat you, I'll enjoy telling Shigure about you three."

"You won't, anyway," Arisa Maiden smiled, as she dashed toward Kyo.

He launched a punch at her face, but she blocked it.

"WHAT?"

"Foolish human, you've been a bad boy."

She then kicked him in the stomach and bent him down. He was placed, face down on her lap, and Arisa raised her hand.

"I will teach you some manners, Master Kyo!" She shouted.

She started to spank him. Kyo cried in pain, as the swats were very painful on his butt.

"AHH! UNCLE!" He cried, surrendering.

**XXXXX**

"You're grounded!" Arisa Maiden yelled, as she slammed Kyo's door.

Kyo was in his room, locked tight, by the Maidens. He tried to break free.

"HEY! HEY! YUKI! SHIGURE!" He screamed, "DAMN YOU! LET ME OUT!"

Tohru Maiden called, "Until you behave, we'll let you out."

Hana Maiden shouted, "Grounded for a week!"

Kyo screamed, "You chrome creeps! You'll pay for this!"

"Make that _two _weeks!" Tohru Maiden shouted, as they left.

At the hallway, they were giggling, as Tohru smiled.

"Well, at least we were able to fix up the problem," she said.

"Now we have Yuki left," Hana Maiden said, "Shigure is scared, while Kyo is dealt with."

Arisa Maiden then said, "What now?"

Saki Maiden explained, "Tohru doesn't return in five days. By that time, we'll have the Honda brat out of our way. After that, it's over for the Sohma boys… as _we_ stay, and _she_ goes."

Tohru then said, "Simply the greatest week in our creation life. Let's give our Prince Yuki the biggest reception we ever gave him, just before his family and friends visit!"

The Maidens laughed boisterously and heartily, as Yuki appeared, asking them, "What's going on?"

"Oh! Yuki!" Tohru Maiden giggled, "Kyo was having a moment. He lashed out at us, but we settled it. Sorry if we woke you up."

Arisa Maiden stated, "Kyo Sohma is grounded. He tried to attack us, but thanks to self-defense in us, we're peachy!"

Hana Maiden added, "You'll see him, to visit, tomorrow, for one hour."

Yuki nodded and said, "Right. Thank you. Good night."

He left with a stern look on his face. It seems he overheard the whole thing, after locking up Kyo.

"Now I see," he thought aloud, "They weren't genuine Maidens, after all… They're bad merchandise, and they want Tohru out of the way. But why?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Could Yuki have a plan? What sort of deed will the Defective Trio have in store for the Prince?<br>And what will Terry Stanton do, once they learned that they're taking over Tohru Honda's life?**_

_**The answers lie ahead in our next chapter!**_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at a small beach house, the <em>real <em>Tohru Honda shivered, while the _real _Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima were besides her.

"I have a feeling that Yuki and the others need me!" She cried, "We should go home!"

Uo asked, "What's the rush? They're fine."

Hanajima said, "It's obvious that they are safe. Unless the Maiden or Butler they ordered is malfunctioning, or if they are haunted, they'll be fine. After all, it's just automation."

Uo insisted to Hana, "Hanajima, don't scare her like that…"

"Uo-Chan, Hana-Chan, I think you're right," Tohru sighed in relief, "But still… What harm could it do?"

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>What harm could it do", she says!<br>See you then…**_


	4. Yuki Sohma vs Tohru Model

_**Maiden Triple Threat  
>Part 4: Yuki Sohma vs. Tohru Model<strong>_

* * *

><p><em>The tape showed Terry Stanton, being assaulted by the Arisa Maiden, who was by the Saki Maiden. Here's what happened:<em>

"_Good," he said, "Once we're finished in the repair bay, Tohru Model will be scrap iron."_

_He picked up his toolkit, as the Saki and Arisa robots woke up and grabbed a hammer._

"_Who was that?" He whispered._

_It was late. At ten in the evening, he was about to leave…_

"_Well, still, it'll be great to dismantle Tohru Model. Once I do, NO ONE will ever threaten an employee again. And if it's a thief, let them. That way, the thief is arrested and the Maiden is free… for MY doing."_

_He chuckled away, and was about to leave, when all of a sudden…_

_**BAM!**_

_He fell unconscious, with a little blood on his head. The Arisa Maiden smirked, "Well… Have us become defective, will he?"_

_The Saki Maiden was shocked, as she saw the red tape she had on her arm, "What the heck is this?"_

"_Don't worry," Arisa smirked, as she peeled the tape off of her and Tohru Maiden, "We'll be fine, as long as we escape."_

"_How so? I want to be a Maiden for Hire, not an escapee! I heard stories about Yagami supervisor, Tomo Model #86662426 (Version 2), escaping the compound, but she chose to stay."_

"_I wonder what happened to her," Arisa Maiden thought._

_Tohru Maiden woke up and barked, "She went on to become a Maiden for The Goddess of Maidens, Koyomi Mizuhara!"_

"_Tohru Model!" They gasped._

"_Listen up!" she sneered, "I have ALL the Maiden Intel on everyone, and we know that NO ONE is going to take us away! They can call me defective, see, but NO ONE gets rid of #T0478 and live to tell the E-mail about it!"_

_She then barked, "Will you join me, my sisters?"_

_She then looked down and whispered, "I got my answer…"_

_She kneeled down to Terry and giggled, "Well, well, well… Mister "I am repairman, and you are rejected"! How delicious this is!"_

"_So, what now?" Arisa Maiden asked._

"_For killing off Terry Stanton, you are my new best friends!" She cheered._

_Saki Model checked his pulse. He was still alive._

"_We managed to knock him unconscious… I'm afraid we may have damaged him a bit."_

"_Damn! Curse those Three Laws!" She growled._

_She then addressed, "Oh, well. No need to go fried wires… Now that everything is copasetic, let's leave."_

_Arisa Maiden bowed, "I am Arisa Model #1R451. Nice to meet you, Tohru Model."_

_Hana Maiden bowed, "I am Saki Model #51K4."_

_Tohru Maiden giggled, "Listen up! I'm in charge here! We are off to where Tohru Honda lives!"_

_Arisa informed, "Where's that?"_

"_No idea," she replied, "But… I DO have a plan! Listen to me, since the cameras may be rolling."_

"_Yes, Miss Tohru Model," they bowed in unison._

_Tohru Maiden pulled out two USB cables and fastened each of them into the Maidens' USB Port. She started to beep and began the download._

_The video ended._

"Damn them!" He growled, "Those Maidens escaped! What's worse is that they stole my tools, just to be repaired!"

Callie asked, "Any idea what their plan was?"

"No idea," he sighed, "Seems to me that they exchange information, inaudibly."

Callie whimpered, "What shall we do?"

"Well, for starters, I'll tell your boss that the Maidens, that were to be dismantled, escaped. Next, you shall be given a 5% pay cut for this month, since they may need to be fixed a bit; plus, you should've told me sooner!"

"I'm sorry! But what about the Maidens?"

"It's not my problem…" he said, "It's _her _doing."

"You mean…"

"Yes."

He grabbed the phone and dialed a _Maidens for Hire _Compound in Kyoto.

"Hello, Kyoto Branch," he called, "We have a crisis. Is _she _around? She is? Good. Tell her to call me in Tokyo. I shall tell her everything that transpired."

He hung up, as Callie asked, "Who's _she_?"

"A newbie employee…" Terry responded, "But she's from the _best_, because she _knows _the _best_!"

What was Terry talking about?

* * *

><p>The next morning, The Maidens were cleaning the kitchen, as Shigure was dressed. He was about to leave to deliver his manuscript.<p>

"Well, I should be going," he said, "Mind the house for me, while I am gone. I'll be back tonight."

He then asked, "Oh, and if any trouble, call me."

They saluted, "Yes, master!"

He left, as the Maidens went to the living room.

Kyo was still locked in his room. He looked around to find the window, but he was due for a surprise.

"NO!" He grabbed the window and tried to open it, but it was glued shut, with jail bars on it.

"I'm grounded for three weeks, and _this _is their way of showing it?" He cried, "Oh, that's it! They're going down!"

Yuki appeared by the door and whispered, "Leave it to me. I think I may jam them."

"Yuki!" He whispered.

"I know what they are doing. They're going to kill Tohru, when she returns. I'm going to try and stop them."

"HOW? They'll listen to _you_! They've gotten to Shigure and they've disciplined me!"

"Exactly. They are known for _guaranteed service_, which is why I will use reverse psychology on them."

"It better work… or you're dead, rat boy!"

Yuki got up and smiled, "See you soon, Kyo."

The Hana Maiden appeared and said, while holding a plate of a leek, "Yuki, why are you by Kyo's door? You already used your visiting time for the day."

"I'm sorry," he politely bowed, "I should go."

The Hana Maiden placed a plate on the floor, as Kyo viewed it, from a small slot.

"AH! NO MORE LEEKS!" He cried out.

"You eat it, or else! Remember, you're grounded!" Saki Model scolded.

"Three weeks… of this," he grumbled, as he grabbed the leek.

The Maiden then said to him, "Actually, it's now _four _weeks."

"AW, NO FAIR!" Kyo whimpered.

The Maiden left, as Kyo sighed, without eating the leek.

"Yuki… I hope you know what you're doing. If you don't, you're dead, you damn rat…"

**XXXXX**

That afternoon, the clouds were growing darker, as the Maidens welcomed Yuki into the dining room.

"Good afternoon, Yuki!" They smiled.

They began comforting him, as Tohru Maiden said, "You're dinner will be ready, shortly. I made you some delicious roast beef and pie. Would you like a massage, before we begin?"

Saki started to massage his shoulders, as Yuki smiled and said, "No, thank you. Though, I may enjoy some appetizers."

Tohru smirked, as she clutched her ladle, "Okay, then. Perhaps we shall give you a Maiden Treatment."

He huffed, "You will certainly do not."

She grumbled, "AH! WHY YOU-, ahem! I mean, why you must be _already _relaxed."

"It's cool."

"Must we cook you your favorite?"

"No."

"Roast beef and pie, it is!"

Yuki summoned the Arisa Maiden and asked, "So, what will you do?"

"Well, we are not going to charge, for the night, since we are preparing for the party, coming up," she responded.

He stated, "You _must_! Maidens need to be in top formation!"

He then thought, "It's working."

The moment he said that, Saki Maiden is delighted.

"Killer beans! Ayame will be excited to meet you!" She giggled.

He snuffed, "He will not."

"But…"

"NO!"

Saki Maiden then thought, "What is he doing? Days ago, he visited Aya-Sama!"

Hours later, Tohru began to serve the roast beef. She said that the pie is almost ready. She served the plate, as Yuki began to eat. He took one bite and was delighted. But…

"It's horrible," he smiled.

"AH?" Tohru Maiden cried, "But it was made to its perfect blend of tastes!"

Yuki smiled, "Well, it's very amazing."

"But you said that you hated it!"

"Yes… but… It's gotten a lot bland."

He thought, "She's falling for it. In a moment, she'll crack."

Tohru Maiden shook and snapped, "Well, it might've been a cruel meal!"

She growled, "But… But the pie… could taste good."

"The pie is burning."

The Maiden shrieked, as the Saki Maiden took it out. The pie was finished and baked perfectly.

"False alarm!" Saki Maiden smiled.

Tohru planted her hands down on the table and dropped her head in anger, "What… What do you want from me?"

Yuki smiled, "Well, I figured that you'd give me the greatest day of my life. But being with Miss Honda was even better. I think I am going to like you three. Your services need improving, but we'll try and fix you up."

The Maiden was seething, "I'm fine! I'm okay. I will not be tested by you!"

She sneered, "I know what you're trying to do. You wanted to stop me from taking over this house… Are you?"

He smirked, "Now why would I do that? It's a simple thing. Once we're done, we'll be able to build onto this friendship. While we're on it, I'll see if Tohru is capable of living somewhere else…"

Tohru cried out, "But you cannot! She's a friend of yours! I don't want you to break up with her!"

Yuki sighed, "Okay. I won't, since I know you might _not _get rid of her."

She gasped and thought, "You… You… You knew?"

She then shook in anger, as she growled, "Yuki Sohma… I understand… I know that she and I are alike, but I cannot let her leave here. She's friends to you, and-."

"Funny," he responded, "I never mentioned a Tohru Honda living with us, nor mentioning what she looks like."

That did it! Tohru Maiden was shocked in a whole new level. She grabbed the table and cried out, "BASTARD!"

She threw the table up and snapped, "I will not be your TOY FOR TORTURE! How dare you treat me like this?"

She yelled in a high-pitched voice, "I will _not _let continue this HORROR SHOW! I provide you guaranteed service, and _this _is the thanks I get?"

Yuki smiled, "Maybe you are _defective_ Maidens…"

Tohru Maiden sobbed, as she was fuming. She then snickered evilly, "You… You have no idea who we are. As of this moment-…"

**SPLAT!**

The plate of food that she cooked landed on her head, smearing all over her hair.

"EW!" The defective leader shrieked.

Yuki giggled, as Tohru Maiden continued.

"STOP LAUGHING! As I was saying! As of this moment, we've decided to abide by your orders…"

"And what, ground me? You just want be as a useful user, yet I don't recall ever ordering you three. I may be a young boy, but you three are special Maidens for Hire. But your tones of voice are unacceptable."

Arisa and Saki glowed red in their LED eyes and walked towards Yuki. Tohru then smirked, "We'll see about that… jerk!"

The Maidens grabbed Yuki on each shoulder, as Tohru Maiden continued, "We thought you might be our best user, but I guess we were wrong. Now then, we know how we deal with disobedient wise guys."

She bellowed, "Saki! Arisa! Hold this bastard down! I'll aim at the solar plexus!"

Yuki smiled, "_Self-defense Mode_… You are more of like _Bully Mode_."

He then snickered, "But you never know my moves."

He lifted his arms and threw the two Maidens to the ground. The Tohru Maiden was shocked.

"NO!" She cried, as she rushed at him, "You stupid idiot! I'll make you PAY!"

She launched her punch, but Yuki blocked her attack, swatting his right hand on her face. She stumbled down, in pain. Yuki stood up and smiled.

"Sorry," he said, "I never get hit _or _be touched, unless Tohru helps me. I'm so sorry… but you'll never best me."

Tohru Maiden yelled, "Nobody makes a fool out of Maiden Model #T0478! NOBODY!"

She charged at him again, but he ducked a huge left hook from the fuming robot. He kneeled down and grabbed her legs. He dropped her to the ground and swung in a Giant Swing move. The Maiden was screaming for mercy, as he swung around really fast. The Maiden cried for help, as Yuki let go. She flew away, through the hallway, and into the front door, breaking through the paper and wood. She landed in the mud, as the rain began to fall. She was out like a light, as the other two Maidens got up. They both stood in place and growled at him.

Saki Maiden cried, "You big fat meanie!"

Arisa Maiden snapped, "Look what you did to our kitchen! We had it all prepared for you!"

Saki Maiden shouted, "And to think we have total trust in you!"

Yuki glared, "Oh, really? And why on earth would you trick us into replacing Tohru? I thought I'd even the score, since I overheard your plans, last night."

Arisa Maiden sobbed, as she and Saki Maiden were sad… faking it, of course.

"We were only following orders," Arisa lied.

Saki fibbed, "Tohru is our leader, because she's so smart. We'd never tried to hurt you."

Yuki snapped, "You're _our _Maidens for Hire! No one else's! It's time you start acting like them! But under no circumstances that you will be able to become such disciplinary people!"

Arisa Maiden wept, as Yuki added, "I think I don't need to be fooled by you two. But, I'll let it go and let you clean up this mess that _you _made. And I _demand _that you make a good work on it!"

Arisa sobbed, "Oh, you will let us?"

Saki blushed, "We're… we're so happy."

They went to work, as Yuki sat down. However, when they started to clean the house, Saki Maiden started to shake, as she grabbed the basket, to pick up the shattered glass on the floor, while Arisa Maiden was washing the dishes, furiously.

"Must clean…" she growled, while shaking, "Must clean… dishes…"

Saki then started to spark, as her body was shaking. She dropped the bucket and walked backwards and forwards.

"_Error! Error! Malfunction!" _She beeped, as she wobbled, _"Maiden Error! Malfunction! Malfunction!"_

The Arisa Maiden continued to wash, but she was washing air. She started to smoke and shake, as she twitched her arms.

"_DANGER! DANGER! Maiden systems malfunction!" _she beeped, dropping the rag, _"All programming overloaded! Error! Danger! Mal-Mal-Mal-Mal-Malfunction!"_

Yuki knew that they'd break down over stress and work. He declared, "Maidens are not to be working so hard. I knew that they cannot work, after a stressful situation. And that will teach them to scare Shigure and ground Kyo."

His plan was foolproof. As he listened on, Saki Maiden stumbled into the kitchen and dropped down, face-first. She slammed her face on the ground and collapsed. Her eyes went black, her mouth was curled, and her face was slightly melted. She smoked from her mouth and suddenly stopped.

As for the Arisa Maiden, she smoked and sparked. She then bent backwards, with her arms flailing, her eyes wide open, and her mouth drooling and curled up.

_The drool is simply oil. A transparent oil that simulates saliva._

"Two down, one to go," he sighed, as the Maidens were broken.

He may have beaten _all _of the Maidens, but Tohru was left. She arrived in the kitchen, muddy and wet, and was angry. She then saw Yuki, all smiles and grinning evilly.

"You bastard!" She cried, "I've had all I can take from you Sohmas! You dare treat Tohru Model #T0478 with disrespect? I am a Maiden for Hire, visa via _Guaranteed Service_, and I will not be outclassed by my _Self-Defense Mode_ by your violent arts!"

She then saw Arisa and Saki, broken and smoking profusely. She let out a mad look and was in tears.

"What did you do to them?" she shrieked, "How did this happen?"

"I did no such thing," he explained, "I gave them an order to clean this kitchen, but they shorted out and malfunctioned."

She then cried, and growled, "Why… you… scum-sucking pigs! You broke them! They were my sisters! They provided you with our working trait, and _YOU _broke them!"

She glowed in red eyes and grabbed a knife from the floor. She snarled, "You insignificant little dumpwad! I will not let you take me back to the Compound! I want to be free! And if you don't appreciate me and my services…"

She tackled Yuki and held him down on the wall. She held the knife up and shouted, "DIE!"

She swung the knife, but halted, before she should pierce him. She tried again, but couldn't. It seems that she wanted to kill him, but she's a Maiden for Hire… with NO killing instincts.

"I… I can't…" she whimpered, as she calmed herself, "I cannot kill… Yuki Sohma…"

Yuki looked at the robot, as she dropped the knife, "Curse my Three Laws! Why can't I kill you? I wanted to, but you succeeded at pissing me off! Why can't I do it? I'm a failure!"

She stood in place and sobbed, "I… I wanted… I wanted… a life… I want to be free… I want to give guaranteed service… but…"

Yuki then stated, "You're simply in a misunderstanding. You're a Maiden for Hire, but you have no traits of it. You're bossy, mean, manipulative, and you're violent. You're nowhere near your Maidens, at all."

Tohru Maiden shouted, "SHUT UP! You don't know all of us!"

She then cried, "I'm not going back! I won't let you make me!"

Yuki grabbed her shoulders, as she sobbed, "Tohru Model, I can have you fixed. I want you to be free again. I'll take you to the closest Maiden Compound, as you call it, and we'll have you and your sisters repaired."

He held her, as she tried to break free, "NO! I cannot go back! You hurt my sisters, you ruined my day, you treated me like crap, and you are so hot, but you have made me angry in the RED LEVEL!"

"Please, Tohru Maiden! I cannot let you do it! Please? For me?"

"NO! Let me go!"

"I won't let go, until you calm down!"

"Let me go!"

"I'm sorry! You need to relax!"

"NO! Let me go! Let me go! You're evil! Let me go!"

"_You're _evil!"

She then started to spark and shake, while breaking out of Yuki's grasp, "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"

She then started to slowly deepen her loop, as she was shaking and sparking, "Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go… Let me go… Let me go…"

Yuki let go, as Tohru started to shake and bow down. She wound down in a slur, "Let me go… Let me… gooooo… letttt… meeee… grrrrr… lrrrmmm… mrrrrr… drrrrrmmmmm…"

Her slurs stopped, as she bent downwards, with her arms dropping. The Tohru Maiden was broke down, thanks to Yuki Sohma's plot.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Defective Trio has been stopped. Nothing more to be said.<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stay tuned for the epilogue, and see what happens next.<strong>_


	5. Epilogue?

_**Maiden Triple Threat  
>Epilogue?<strong>_

* * *

><p>The Saki Maiden was on the floor, with a basket on the ground…<p>

The Arisa Maiden, covered in sink suds, was tilted back…

The Tohru Maiden, muddy, filthy, and damp, was shut down…

These three Maidens for Hire formed the _Defective Trio_. They invaded the home of Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki Sohma. Their main objective: be rid of Tohru Honda and live with them, for the rest of their lives.

Too bad that they failed… thanks to the _Rat of the Sohmas_.

As Yuki was about to call the Maidens for Hire Compound, a woman in violet hair and a blue business suit appeared by the broken door.

"Yoo-hoo…" she called, as she stepped in.

"Oh, hello," he greeted.

She extended her hand and bowed to her.

"Sir, my name is Hanako West," she greeted, "I work at the _Maidens for Hire Compound _in Kyoto. I was summoned by a Mister Takana West from the Tokyo Branch, and I came here to pick up three Maidens. I believe we have located them here. Do you have them?"

"Maidens for Hire?" He asked, "Is it the very same Maiden service that Miss Honda gave us?"

"The _same_!"

"You came at a right time," he smiled, "The three Maidens are in the kitchen… but please be careful in there."

Hanako growled, "Stanton _was _right… Father gave me the address to this and…"

She cleared her throat and smiled, "Well, we'll take them out, right now."

She called out, "MAXWELL! EDISON!"

Two big men in white leather jumpsuits appeared behind Hanako.

She introduced to Yuki, "This is Maxwell Chambers and Edison Cartwright, the Silver Hammer Duo, from our Kyoto Branch. These two help fix and repair Maidens that are broken; also known for making Silver Maidens/Butlers, dressed in Silver, at a price of 3,000 Yen (For special occasions only)."

Yuki let the three in, as they entered the kitchen. The men grabbed the Saki and Arisa Maidens and examined them.

"What a mess," Hanako said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk… What powerful Maidens that makes messes."

"Seems to me that Saki Model here has some powerful gears," Max responded, "I guess her tears must've fried them."

Edison remarked, "Cool. But the Arisa Model had been blinded by dishpan hands and soap scum. No wonder they dubbed them defective."

Max replied, "I don't think that's why."

Hanako examined the Tohru Maiden's blank face and snuffed, "Terry… I guess someone beat you to it."

She called to them, "Well, no need to worry. Dismantle them and rebuilt them; see what went wrong. After that, return them to HQ, so Mister Stanton will take it from here. I'll give father the message that the _Defective Trio_'s reign terror had ended."

"Yes, Miss West!" They both called, carrying the Maidens away.

"I'll handle the Tohru Maiden," she said.

Yuki asked, "So, do you work here often?"

"Actually, father gave me the job, after delivering a Maiden to my school, out of my own allowance. He was happy to have the students thrilled that he gave me a job there!"

"I see. So, why are they called the _Defective Trio_?"

"Well, it's a sad story. Tohru Model here, tried to kill Mister Terry Stanton, an employee from our Yagami Branch, who was visiting our Tokyo Branch, but she couldn't. She was declared _defective_, before we could test her. However, he declared the Saki and Arisa Models _defective_, as well, for no apparent reason. But lately, the three Maidens attacked Mister Stanton and Miss Callie Tsuki, one of our employees in our Tokyo Branch. End result: they escaped, without being dismantled. They were due for dismantling, long ago, but the transaction never took place."

"I see… The Maiden Tohru tried to kill me, but couldn't. Sadly, and luckily, she shorted out and couldn't do it."

Hanako nodded, "She was a good Maiden. Like the others, the _Trio_ revolved around the Three Laws of Robotics."

Yuki smiled, "That explains why she didn't kill me. These Maidens were wild. I cannot explain why…"

Hanako bowed and smiled, "Well, I guess you know how to stop them. For your heroics, and for stopping the Trio, I will offer you a lifetime contract for a free Maiden for Hire!"

Yuki said, "Thank you, but I'll pass. I reject your offer, on account that we have a friend who cleans up for us."

"Oh, that's too bad. Would you consider it, one day?"

"We're better off. But that's okay. Kyo hates the whole Maiden thing."

"So… anyway… I'll be on my way. And thank you for stopping Tohru Model and her friends."

Yuki bowed and said, "Say hi to your father for me."

Hanako carried the Maiden over her shoulder and left through the door. She then asked, "What's your name? I never got your name."

"I'm Yuki Sohma."

"Nice to meet you, Yuki. And thank you again."

Yuki waved goodbye and went to Kyo's room, removing the locks from the door. Kyo stepped out. He was exhausted and hungry. He never bothered eating the leek.

"FOOD!" He cried weakly, "I need… food!"

Yuki smiled, "It's over, Kyo. They're gone."

Kyo sighed, "What a relief…"

Shigure returned and saw the house a mess. He cried out, "What happened here?"

Yuki sighed, "It's a long story…"

_End result: the party was cancelled…_

**XXXXX**

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Branch, Terry Stanton shook hands with Hanako West.

"Thanks for your help, Hanako," he smiled, "I didn't even know that they'd short out by themselves."

"Thank Yuki Sohma," she said, "He helped stop them. Once we have the Maidens repaired, they're yours for your fun."

"I will…" he smirked, "As long as I _dismantle_ Tohru Model. The rest is of no concern."

Hanako nodded, "If you say so. The Maidens will be delivered to you in Yagami, tomorrow. I'll report the whole story to father, right away."

They left, as the Maidens returned to the repair bay.

**XXXXX**

That night, a co-worker was repairing the Saki and Arisa Units. The Tohru Maiden was in place, standing and motionless, with her eyes closed.

"I'll have them all fixed up," he whispered, "Even if they are defective, they need to be fixed. I'm surprised that they withstood some kind of punishment."

As he fiddled with Saki's back panel, the Tohru Maiden awoke by herself _again_. She turned to the repairman and smirked.

"You're not Stanton," she spoke in an electronic voice.

He turned around and saw the Maiden alive. He was gasping for air, as the Maiden grabbed his wrist.

"You've done enough, sir," she said, "You, my friend, have no love for Maidens."

He spoke, "Sorry. Miss West's orders. I have to deliver you to Yagami for Mister Stanton."

She grabbed his neck and growled, "You bite your tongue! NEVER mention that bastard again!"

She asked, "Is there any security cameras?"

"No," he said, "Our repairs are all confidential in this area."

"Good…"

She slammed her head on his and was out cold. She let out a robotic laugh, as she fixed up Saki Maiden. The Arisa Maiden was already repaired. She packed the two in a huge box and placed a Maiden in the box, marked to Terry.

"You should've known me well," she said, "Someone wants me to live. I cannot explain, but she made me do it. I'll be happy to extract my revenge on Terry Stanton _and _Yuki Sohma! Those two will pay. You see, Maidens tend to be free… Tomo Maiden went on to be a well-recognized Maiden, and works in a branch, Eri Maiden has a boyfriend, but lately she has disappeared, and the Yakumo Maiden is retired and working in the Odaiba Branch. They are so lucky. I'm happy to be a freelance Maiden. However, I, and my sisters, will _not _be happy, as long as Terry Stanton is out of the way… and I know the source…"

She went in the box, which was marked "_Send to the Sohma Main Residence; To: Akito Sohma – DO NOT OPEN_". She then activated her circuits.

_Maiden standby shutdown in 30 seconds…_

"People tend to live… even Maidens," she concluded, with time running out in her, as she lied beside her sisters, "The Maidens will be happy to serve you well, for we are the best three in the world. Stanton will never find us. I disabled the GPS device in us, before we were returned."

She then clicked her eyes closed and wound down, "I'll… be… baaaaaaa…"

She powered down and was turned off. Mysteriously, the box was shut closed and was shipped off, the next day. The other box was sent to Yagami.

What was Tohru Maiden talking about, and who was _she_?

**XXXXX**

Terry got the package, the next day. It was a Maiden with red hair, a huge chest, and a yellow and chartreuse outfit. There was a note in between her breasts. Terry pulled it out and read it:

_Dear Mister Stanton,  
>You haven't heard the last of me… and us! You thought that you got rid of me. But I promise you, Mister Stanton. You will NEVER turn us into scrap metal. Goodbye, loser! WAH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!<br>From: Tohru Model #T0478 (a.k.a. The de facto Defective Leader)  
>P.S. When you see Yuki Sohma, tell him that he's mine, once I'm done with you…<br>P.S.S. "The Defective Trio"… I like that name. Thanks again. Also, you suck._

Terry crumpled the letter and growled, "You… Damn you!"

He then smirked, "You'll be back. I'll find you."

He then bragged and bellowed, "Maidens always are located, if needed to be returned, when lost. GPS Units always tell where they go, or if they are far away, we pick them up. So, Tohru Model, no matter where you go, I'll be there to find you."

He then smiled and boasted, "Game over!"

He doesn't know that the Maidens disabled their GPS unit.

Something tells me that the _Defective Trio _lives again. But for how long, before they awaken again? Only time will tell…

* * *

><p><em><strong>The End?<strong>_

* * *

><p>Four days later, the <em>real <em>Tohru Honda returned and went to the door.

"I'm home!" She called out, "I got some souvenirs from my trip!"

She then gasped, as Shigure appeared. He hugged Tohru and…

**POOF!**

He became a dog.

"Hello, Tohru," he smiled and said, "Good to see you back again."

"What happened to the house, Shigure?" She inquired.

"It's a long story. I suggest that you rest. Yuki and Kyo will take care of it."

Of course, the Sohmas agreed to _never _mention this horrible moment again. Tohru then shook her head and shouted, "No way! I'll help out this mess! I promise to you that I'll fix everything. I'm so sorry about the whole Maiden thing."

She went into the kitchen, but Shigure cried, "WAIT! NOT IN THE KITCHEN!"

"**AAAAAAAHHHH!"**

He whimpered, "I _warned _you."

She cried, "The Sea of Corruption has become a Tsunami of Mass Deception!"

The Kitchen was left alone, as the boys, in the past four days, fixed the house… shoddily.

She then gleamed, "I won't give in to you, you nasty mess! Tohru Honda's back in action!"

She went to work, as Shigure, who turned back to normal and naked, hid behind the couch.

"Okay… Let me know when you are finished," he smiled, "I'll… be here in the living room."

As for Kyo and Yuki, they were in the bathtub, in their animal form, scowling at each other.

"I told you the Maiden thing was a bad idea, you damn rat," Kyo growled.

Yuki sighed, "It was merely defective Maidens, you dumb cat. Besides, they're gone now."

Kyo cried, "When's Tohru coming home? We have been waiting for days for her!"

Yuki remarked, "I think I heard her screams, just now."

Of course, everything was the way it was… for now…

* * *

><p><em><strong>What of the Defective Trio, you ask? That story is left untold, for another day.<br>The story ends here, but this is just the beginning.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>_


End file.
